It was a six-game slate in the NBA on Thursday, including four with big-time playoff implications. We take a look at three of those four in our daily roundup:
Nuggets Rout Bucks in Nikola Jokic Return
Nikola Jokic returned from injury and looked like he never left, posting a triple-double to power the Denver Nuggets (46-28) to a 127-117 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks (40-32) at Ball Arena.
Jokic finished with 39 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists and was 16-for-25 from the field. Michael Porter Jr. added 23 points and 10 rebounds on 7-for-9 shooting, while Christian Braun and Jamal Murray had 19 and 17, respectively.
Brook Lopez fired 26 points as he led seven Bucks in double-figures—with Gary Trent Jr. adding 16, Taurean Prince chipping in 15, and Ryan Rollins and AJ Green contributing 17 and 15, respectively. Their combined efforts, though, could not help Milwaukee overcome the absence of stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Up next:
Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz on March 29
Bucks vs. New York Knicks on March 29
Lakers Walk-Off vs. Pacers with LeBron James’s Buzzer-Beater
LeBron James tipped in a Luka Doncic miss at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Lakers (44-28) a thrilling 120-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers (42-30) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
James tallied 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. Luka Doncic led the way with 34 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists for the Lakers, who were leading 118-112 before Indiana scored seven unanswered to take a 119-118 lead. Austin Reaves added 24 points, while Rui Hachimura had 14—including back-to-back triples that gave the Lakers that six-point advantage.
Tyrese Haliburton spearheaded the Pacers’ attack with 16 points and 18 assists and scored on a three-point play that cut the Lakers’ lead to one, 118-117. Bennedict Mathurin topscored for Indiana with 23 points off the bench and made the basket that briefly gave the Pacers the lead in the endgame.
Up next:
Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls on March 28
Pacers vs. Wizards on March 28
Clippers Subdue Knicks as Kawhi Leonard Continues Strong Play
Kawhi Leonard continues to look every bit the superstar that he is as he led the Los Angeles Clippers (41-31) to a 126-113 triumph over the New York Knicks (45-27) at Madison Square Garden.
Leonard put up 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, while James Harden topscored for the Clippers with 29 points on top of 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Ivica Zubac added 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks to help the Clippers win for a 9th time in 11 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns led all scorers with 34 points to go along with 14 rebounds. OG Anunoby added 8, while Mikal Bridges and Cameron Payne had 17 and 15, respectively.
Up next:
Clippers vs. Brooklyn Nets on March 29
Knicks vs. Bucks on March 29
